SHE spends most of her spare time looking out for others, so it was only right this Christmas that someone else should look out for Sylvia Weeks.

SHE spends most of her spare time looking out for others, so it was only right this Christmas that someone else should look out for Sylvia Weeks.

Deserving Sylvia, 77, of Barwell, is one of our winners in our fantastic Pamper with a Hamper giveaway, in which The Hinckley Times and Heart of England Co-op team up to bring festive cheer to older people across the borough.

Sylvia was nominated for a hamper by her daughter, Carol Yeoman, for her tireless work in the community and was presented with her hamper by Barwell co-op manager Martin Burrows last Friday.

Sylvia runs four clubs in the village, including the Age Concern chapel, a bingo club, a coffee morning and the Barn Owls club, where older people come for meals and go on a holiday together each year. This year, Sylvia organised a stay at chalets in Eastbourne, and has already booked into a hotel in Devon for next year.

Her hamper contains goodies from Co-op Foodcentres and Lateshops including biscuits, coffee and Christmas pudding and were delivered by Atherstone-based distribution giants TNT.

Sylvia said: “I haven’t been that well - I’ve been in hospital and when I came out this cheered me up.

“When you are active you like to stay that way. I don’t like to be shut in. I like to be out doing something.

“What I don’t eat I will be putting on the table and sharing with my friends.”

Sylvia has spent much of her life caring for others - she used to be the deputy warden at The Limes and also worked at the Queensway retirement bungalows in Barwell and Harvey House.

She said: “I’ve also worked in Burbage and when I came back to Barwell it was like meeting up with a big family. It is a home from home.”

Sylvia’s husband Kenneth died 10 years ago, but she has a large family of seven children and 13 grandchildren to keep her company.

She is looking forward to a big day for grand-daughter, Carla Pay, 26, who will marry her childhood sweetheart Luke Vickers on December 27. Luke is in the army and is travelling back from Iraq for the wedding next week.